Steadstyle Chicago
	February 2010 Theatre Review by Alan Bresloff
	The Cabinet Back in 2005, Redmoon Theater did a show called "The Cabinet" inspired by the dark silent film "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" that used puppets and small scale mechanicals.  The show turned into one of their biggest hits, running for twenty weeks.  They have remounted this production, inspired to do so by Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel when they were invited to the White House.  They have modernized the equipment used and I must tell you that this 65 minute production is truly something to be seen.  While it is a masterful handling of puppetry and well choreographed/staged by Vanessa Stalling and Frank Maugeri, who conceived the original production and directed it.  There is some wonderful music by Mark Messing and a magnificent set designed by Maggie Goddard.  The puppetry designed by Lisa Barcy and Scott Pondrum is very clever and the eyes of the puppets very realistic.  In fact, after several minutes the puppets become very real and one can almost forget that they are not just small actors. The  puppeteers/performers are cleverly directed and even though we know they are operating these puppets, they also become a part of the story.  Taylor Bibat, Sam Deutsch, Matt Rudy, Dustin Valentina, Missy Davis and Sarah Ely move about the set, often hanging from the rafters, moving from section of the "cabinet" to another, characters in hand, never missing a beat.  Each movement has meaning and keeps the flow of the story at just the right pace.  The set, if you can imagine it, is a large cabinet with many doors and drawers.  At the very start, the center lower panel opens for a large gramophone to enter, an arm comes out to place the needle on the record allowing the story to be told.  Dr. Calgari has a slave who is somnambulist (asleep all the time).  He has the task of destroying love and does so by killing people.  Each of the steps he takes are done in a manner that shows us that this is not what he wants to do, but rather what he must do. The set backdrop goes from scene to scene with the walls moving as pages of a book, taking us from hospital to freak show at a carnival to a mansion and an Asylum.  There are also two books utilized to tell this story.  They are pop-up type books, such as the ones many of us recall from our youth or in reading to our children or grandchildren.  Incidentally, although this is a puppet show, it is not suggested for little ones due to the content and the eerie lighting by Chase Corman.  In fact, every little detail is handled to perfection by this talented troupe.  An amazing story-telling experience, told in a way that will make this an experience to remember. If you have never experienced the work of Redmoon, this is a great way to start and once you see one of their productions, you will go back.  What they offer is unique works of art, using all of the techniques that the theater has utilized for centuries.  They make theater fun!  "The Cabinet" will continue until April 25, 2010 at 1463 W. Hubbard Street (just East of Ashland).  Performances are Thursdays at 8 p.m., Fridays at 8 and 10 p.m., Saturdays at 6 and 9 p.m., Sundays at 3 p.m.  Tickets are a mere $15 on Thursday, $20 on Friday and Sunday and $25 on Saturday.  There is plenty of parking in the area.  To purchase tickets call 312-850-8440 xt 111 or visit www.redmoon.org.   About Alan Bresloff Alan Bresloff, once an actor himself, has been covering the Chicago Theater Scene since 1993, first as the Theater and Arts critic for LaRaza newspaper, then with Salsachicago.com and then onto Extra Newspaper and The Epoch Times.  He also writes for ElImparcial and TeleGuia.  His reviews can also be seen on www.theatreinchicago.com.  Alan does not call himself a "critic" but a "reviewer" as he tries to educate the reader about theater itself, what is a good value, what to look for in a play or musical and more.  "Exposure to theater is a very important part of a young person's life" he says. "Learning about the arts and culture is in fact learning about life" and he tries to explain more in his reviews than just if it is good or bad.  Even some of the poor productions have some value, he often says and he would love your feedback on shows that you have seen.  You can write him here or at albresloff@sbcglobal.net.